[Scene: Evening – Apartment, Dim Light, Stale Air]
The sky outside had started to dim, but the heat hadn't left—it just settled in heavier, like a thick wool blanket draped over the world. The fan kept running, its low whirring now just background noise to Oliver's stillness.
He lay on the mattress again, half-awake, half-scrolling.
TikTok rolled on—video after video, algorithm carved perfectly for his half-functioning brain.
> @FastFoodFacts2025 (voiceover)
"If you thought food was expensive last year, buckle up. New average prices in select cities: Chipotle? $18 a bowl. McDonald's combo meals? $16 to $22. Wendy's and Burger King pushing $20 if you want large. Popeyes chicken box? $25 in some areas. Chick-fil-A? Forget it—just mortgage the house."
A montage played of food receipts, red circles around prices, someone mock-crying in a drive-thru.
Oliver blinked slowly. His phone screen reflected in his tired eyes. A small part of him felt the edge of pressure, a whisper of urgency.
But then… it faded.
He tapped to the next video.
A guy sitting in his car eating french fries while ranting:
> "Why would I work 8 hours for $13 an hour just to afford a $17 McChicken meal? $17! For a McChicken.....".
Oliver's thumb hovered, then scrolled again.
No job apps today. No effort to call anyone. No résumé tweaking. The tabs for job sites on his browser sat untouched—indeed.com, LinkedIn, a broken bookmark for that local warehouse gig. He meant to get to it. He always meant to.
Instead, the fan hummed.
The heat pressed in.
The cheap curtains barely moved.
He reached for the last cold water bottle from the mini fridge. Empty. He stared at it for a second, then set it back down.
No movement.
No plan.
Just another video.
Another headline.
Another excuse.
His ribs ached when he shifted. His eyes stung from dryness. His will drifted like the fan air—pointless, warm, and going nowhere.
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[Scene: Later That Night – Oliver's Apartment, Phone Glow in the Dark]
The room was dim now, lit only by the pale, bluish light of Oliver's phone screen. The fan whirred tirelessly, pushing hot air around like a dying breath. He laid on his side, phone inches from his face, eyes unfocused as he scrolled through today's flood of news stories, each headline bleaker than the last.
---
🗞️ TODAY'S VARIOUS NEWS FEED – JUNE 2025:
> ⚖️ "Supreme Court Delays Ruling on Federal Housing Bill Amid Rising Homelessness Crisis"
– Advocates call the delay a "death sentence" for those relying on eviction protection.
> 🌎 "3-Day Ceasefire Between Russia and Ukraine Holding—For Now"
– NATO monitors report sporadic violations but no major breaches.
> 🇮🇷 "Israel-Iran Tensions Escalate After Missile Strike on Tehran Suburb"
– U.N. calls emergency meeting as global oil prices spike overnight.
> 🇺🇸 "Nationwide Protests Continue Against President Trump's New Trade Policies"
– 38 cities report civil unrest, particularly among working-class communities hit by tariffs.
> 📉 "Job Market Crisis Deepens: 2025 Declared the 'Worst Hiring Year Since 2008'"
– New grads and laid-off workers report months without interviews; major corporations continue AI-driven hiring freezes.
> 🍔 "Fast Food Prices Surge: $25 Meals Now 'The Norm' in Major Cities"
– Consumers outraged as value menus disappear entirely.
– TikTok trend #BrokeAtBurgerKing gains traction.
> 🧪 "Japan Develops Universal Synthetic Blood—No Matching Needed"
– Groundbreaking biotech breakthrough could revolutionize emergency medicine.
> 🌪️ "Mendenhall Valley Prepares for Annual Glacial Flood"
– Residents stacking sandbags as ice melt accelerates due to record temperatures.
> 🚫 "Los Angeles Imposes Curfew After Downtown Protests Turn Violent"
– At least 17 arrests reported. Viral footage shows police using tear gas near public transit stations.
> 👩⚖️ "Congresswoman Charged with Interfering with Federal Officers During Capitol Sit-In"
– Charges include obstruction and unlawful entry; sparks debate on government accountability.
---
Oliver blinked slowly, his finger hovering but not tapping. It was all noise now—unfolding disasters, broken systems, rising prices, and political theater. A cascade of things far too big for him, far too close to ignore, and yet still... distant.
He locked his phone.
Laid back into the warm mattress.
And listened to the fan, pretending it was something steady.
Something not falling apart.
Another day.
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